OBJECTIVES: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is effective in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), but the major limitation of CPAP may be poor compliance. The aims of the study were to investigate the compliance and side effects of CPAP, and to evaluate the efficacy of CPAP in patients with OSAS. METHODS: This study enrolled 106 patients with OSAS who took the CPAP treatment. The severity of daytime sleepiness was measured using Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and sleep quality and depressive symptoms were assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), respectively. RESULTS: During 29 months of the study period, 41.5% of patients were using CPAP and 38.7% of patients stopped using it. Compared to non-compliant patients, compliant patients had a higher PSQI score and obstructive apnea index. Among non-compliant patients, 51.2% of them stopped using CPAP within 1months. 85.7% of non-compliant patients were discomforted by the CPAP, but much more nasopharyngeal symptoms were reported in the compliant group. ESS (p<0.01), PSQI (p<0.01) and BMI (p<0.01) were reduced significantly after CPAP treatment but not BDI (p=0.86). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that CPAP can reduce the daytime sleepiness, nocturnal sleep disturbance, and body mass index. To increase the compliance of CPAP, we suggested that some education and support is needed at the early stage of the CPAP treatment.
Apnea ; Body Mass Index ; Compliance* ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; Depression ; Education ; Humans ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the anatomic and functional change in acutely obstructed kidneys, and the probability of functional recovery after resolving the obstruciton. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 5 animal groups(6 rabbits in each group)-normal control group, 4 acute ureteral obstruction group. Each of the latter group was imaged with Gd-DTPA enhanced dynamic MR 2, 6, 24, and 48 hours after ligation of the left proximal urter, respectively. We compared the findings of dynamic MR imaging and histopathological findings. RESULTS: We could observe centripetal movement of dark band pattern which could be defined as 3 phasesrenal cortex, outer medulla, and inner medulla in normal rabbits. The appearance of the dark band pattern was delayed or absent in ureteral obstruction group with a linear relationship to the duration of the obstruction. CONCLUSION: Gd-DTPA enhanced MR can be used to differentiate acute obstructive nephropathy from other causes of nephropathy and foretell the prognosis of the obstruction.
Animals ; Gadolinium DTPA* ; Kidney ; Ligation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Prognosis ; Rabbits* ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction*

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Histamine* ; Humans ; Interleukin-12*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the value of fast field echo(FE) technique in accesing temporOmandibular joint(TMJ) dynamics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A series of 120 TMJ MRI examinations of 60 symptomatic patients was performed. The fast FE technique was used to provide dynamic images of the TMJs in various phase of mouth opening with a step-bite-block. RESULTS: Among 120 cases, there were 30 cases which were normal, 21 cases of anterior displacement with reduction, 66 cases of anterior displacement without reduction, 11 cases of deformity of menisci, 23 cases of bony deformity, and 3 cases of medial displacement. The menisci and condyles were clearly delineated and the motions of the menisci during jaw opening were well evaluated in both normal and pathologic conditions. CONCLUSION: The dynamic TMJ MRI scan using fast FE technique permits both fast scanning and study of joint dynamics as well as TMJ anatomy.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Jaw ; Joints ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mouth ; Temporomandibular Joint*

No abstract available.
Bilirubin* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Kernicterus*

Behcets disease is a chronic systemic disease of unknown etiology, which is characterized by the recurrent orogenital ulcers, eye involvement and skin manifestations. In addition to the major symptoms, it includes arthritis, vasculitis, neurologic manifestations and gastrointestinal lesions. We report a case of Behcets disease associated with intestinal ulcers. The patient, a 45-year-old female, who had been treated under the diagnosis of Behcets disease for 4 years, presented with swallowing difficulty, vaginal discharge and persistent right lower abdominal pain. Colonoscopic examination showed multiple ulcers on the ileocecal region which is reported as the most common site of gastrointestinal Behcets disease. Gastrointestinal evaluation can be useful in diagnosis of Behcets disease, especially in a patient with gastrointestinal symptoms.
Abdominal Pain ; Arthritis ; Deglutition ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Skin Manifestations ; Ulcer* ; Vaginal Discharge ; Vasculitis

BACKGROUND: Cine MR imaging has been found to bo a non-invasive technique in evaluation cardiac anatomy and cardiovascular function in a variety of cardiac diseases. The capability of this technique for quantatively estimating the severity of regurgitation has not been tested in newborns. The purpose of this study is to compare the degees of tricuspid regurgitation by echorcardiography with those by cine MRI, and verify the utility of MRi in evaluating tricuspid regurgitation. METHODS: Fifty-one newborns with tricuspid regurgitation were evaluated on the same day by echocardiography and cine MRI. Area and regurgitant fraction of area were estimated at four chamber view by two techniques. RESULTS: The area of tricuspid regurgitation was similar by two techniques. The correlation for the area(r=0.66, p<0.025) and the regurgitant area fraction(r=0.647, p<0.025) of tricuspid regurgitation obained by cine MRI with echocardiographic data was good. CONCLUSION: Cine MR imaging can provide quantative data estimating for evaluation of tricuspid regurgitation in newborns.
Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler* ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine* ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency*

No abstract available.
Thymus Hyperplasia*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to evaluate the changes of the respiratory patterns associated with swallowing in the brain-injured patients. METHOD: Twenty brain-injured patients(6 bulbar lesions, 14 pseudobulbar lesions) and fifteen normal subjects were selected for this study. Each subject swallowed 5cc of water for ten times in a upright sitting position and a submental electromyography recording and respirography by pneumobelt on mid-abdomen were recorded simultaneously. RESULTS: 1) Most swallows occured during the late expiratory phase in both brain-injured patients and controls. 2) In brain-injured patients, the incidence of swallowing during inspiration was significantly higher than the controls(p<0.05). 3) In brain-injured patients, the postdeglutitive inspiration was significantly higher than the controls(p<0.05). 4) In patients with a bulbar lesion, the postdeglutitive inspiration was significantly higher than patients with a pseudobulbar lesion(p<0.01). 5) Postdeglutitive swallowing relatively correlates with the abnormalities in clinical findings and Video Fluoroscopic Swallowing Study(VFSS) findings. CONCLUSION: The respiratory patterns associated with the swallowing in brain-injured patients were different from that of the normal adults and the postdeglutitive inspiration could be the most valuable predictor of the aspiration.
Adult ; Deglutition* ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Incidence ; Swallows ; Water

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive impairment in restless legs syndrome (RLS) patients can be affected by sleep deprivation, anxiety and depression, which are common in RLS. The objective of this study is to investigate relationship between cognitive impairment and RLS in the non-medicated Korean elderly with controlling for psychiatric conditions. METHOD: The study sample for this study comprised 25 non-medicated Korean elderly RLS patients and 50 age-, sex-, and education-matched controls. All subjects were evaluated with comprehensive cognitive function assessment tools-including the Korean version of Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet (CERAD-K), severe cognitive impairment rating scale (SCIRS), frontal assessment battery (FAB), and clock drawing test (CLOX). Sleep quality and depression were also assessed with Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and geriatric depression scale (GDS). RESULTS: PSQI and GDS score showed no difference between RLS and control group. There was no significant difference between two groups in nearly all the cognitive function except in constructional recognition test, in which subjects with RLS showed lower performance than control group (t=-2.384, p=0.02). Subjects with depression (GDS> or =10) showed significant cognitive impairment compared to control in verbal fluency, Korean version of Mini Mental Status Examination in the CERAD-K (MMSE-KC), word list memory, trail making test, and frontal assessment battery (FAB). In contrast, no difference was observed between subjects who have low sleep quality (PSQI>5) and control group. CONCLUSIONS: At the exclusion of the impact of insomnia and depression, cognitive function was found to be relatively preserved in RLS patients compared to control. Impairment of visual recognition in RLS patients can be explained in terms of dopaminergic dysfunction in RLS.
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Humans ; Memory ; Restless Legs Syndrome ; Sleep Deprivation ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Trail Making Test